elfcroft

Four red, green and gold tote bags shipped today with 16 dresses to South Africa to join other donations for Helping Hands Touching Hearts.  Sidney, Wayne and CJ are flying this weekend from Detroit to South Africa to personally distribute clothing, mosquito netting, tote bags and shoes.  Their journey is beautifully documented on this site: http://web.me.com/clotheavillage/Site/Welcome.html

Tote Bags

The fabric for these tote bags salvaged a slip cover project gone wrong. 🙂  See Aug 28 Helping Hands Year 2 post for the photos of other contents.  Four size 4 dresses were made from remnants of last years project.  The four size 10 dresses reused a pattern shown on Dec 14 post.  I’ll reuse the pattern one more time to make size 8 dresses next year.  I passed on making boy’s shorts, however a fabric designated and plan to next year.

Bon Voyage to Sidney, Wayne and CJ!

Aprons for Wheeler Mission Center for Women and Children

I had wondered for a year what I would do with the Christmas fabric yard sale find from Grandpa.  Then I heard from Kathy, the kitchen helpers could use more aprons.  This year I used a Simplicity pattern for more precision, same fabric straps and a couple of key rings for the neck strap adjustment.  Four aprons even have pockets!  The delivery included some towels from Target and 6 crocheted pot-holders (thanks to Julie’s instruction).

Then there was the fall themed fabric that netted 5 more aprons and striped fabric featuring contrasting pockets.  Like the Christmas project, I added coordinating towels from Target and crocheted pot-holders.

(5) fall + (6) summer aprons

Striped aprons with pocket for 2011

Kathy, Kevin and Bobbi

2009 was the year of my first apron project.  When the request came out, I immediately thought of recycling curtains.  There was enough fabric to make six of each type.  I copied the pattern from one of my own aprons and used strap by the roll from JoAnn’s Fabrics.  Kathy, Kevin and Bobbi volunteer in the Wheeler Mission kitchen.  It is a privilege to support their work.

For months, my ideas on blogging incubated while I dove into projects to support long time friends.  It has been my pleasure to stretch my sewing abilities and capacity to make 8 pairs of boys shorts and 21 girls dresses to support “Helping Hands, Touching Hearts”.   My attic space complete with sewing cabinet and machine were waiting on me to “open for business”.  I also have aprons I’m making for the Wheeler Mission Center for Women and Children.  It has been a pleasure to support the passions of longtime friends Sidney Bonvallet and Kathy Layne .

As I looked at the photo of me to send to Sidney in Detroit, the name “elfcroft” came to mind.  (Incubation period over?) I wanted to have a unique name like “Piewacket” for a blog or website.  What I cooked up is a blend of initials

Finishing up 29 garments for Helping Hands Touching Hearts

and words that transform into other meanings.  Combine Elizabeth, Frazee, craft, loft (dropping a lot of letters).  Voila!  Elfcroft  Elf:  industrious, fun, helpful.  Croft:  Small Scottish farm.  BTW Frazee is a Scottish surname.

The other objection holding me back on blogging were unintended consequences of public posts.  Now that I understand that I can publish privately, I’m looking forward to evolving and connecting with family and longtime friends in this new venue.  Email, Facebook, text messages and even the phone have not been satisfying.

This an early start on a New Year’s resolution…ooops, a late start on this year’s resolution ;).